Machine for replacing railroad ties



Jan. 4, 1927.

' 1,613,037 R. s. KNIFFr-:N

MACHINE FOR REPLACING RAILROAD 'f1-[ES l www Roy SKwFFE/v `d @AMM freir/2307' Jah, f Y 1 613 037 4 1927 R. s. KNIFFEN MACHINE FOR REPLACING :RAILROAD TIES Filed March 21, 1925 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jani 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR REPLACING RAILROAD TIES.

Application filed March 21, 1925.

This invention relates .to animproved device for removing old ties and replacing` them with new ones, without disturbing` the rails resting on the ties, and more particularly relates to such a device adapted to be mounted upon an ordinary hand car and may therefore be used or considered as an attachment therefor.

The particular object of the invention is 1U to provide a machine for removing and re placing track-ties which will be simple and inexpensive in construction and which may readily and conveniently be shifted from inoperative to operate position in a minimum amount of time.

A further and more specific objectof the invention is to provide such a device having a thrust member .supported by a frame which is pivotally mounted on the car platform,

2U and which thrust member isfadapted to engage the rails to relieve the car of any unnecessary strain in the operation of pulling out an old tic from beneath the rails and re-y placing it with a new one.

Other objects of the'invention will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings andvwill be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a railway hand car of the platform type showing the invention mounted thereon and in operative position; f

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1 with l portion of the car broken away to show the means provided for connecting the cable to the end of an old tie; and

Figure 3 is a detail view of the means provided for retaining the thrust member supporting frame in its adjusted positions.

ln the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there is illustrated a common form of railway hand car comprising Serial No. 17,410.

the platform 4 mounted on the axles 5 carried by the usual wheels 6. This hand car may be of the ordinary type employing an internal combustion engine for motor power or, it may be an ordinary platform type employing no propelling motive power.

lThe novel feature of this invention resides in the provision of an attachment for suoli a car whereby it may readily be converted into a tie-removing and replacing machine for use in repairing railroad tracks.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the device preferably comprises a pair of spaced beams 7 having their upper ends pivitally mounted upon a shaft S by means of capped bearings 9. The shaft 8 is rotatably mounted in bearing pedestals or pillow blocks 11 which may be mounted upon and secured to the platform 4 of the car7 as shown. A pair of substantially horizontal thrust members 12 are arranged beneath the beams 7 and have their outer ends suitably secured to the lower ends of the beams. Upright posts 13 are interposed between the beams 7 and the thrustmembers 12 thereby providing a substantial frame structure. Cross bars 14 and 15are provided to retain the two thrust members and also the two supporting beams 7 in substantially spaced parallel relation. The inner ends of the two thrust members 12 are preferably shaped to conform to the contour of the rails so that when they are abutted thereagainst they will fit the rail as shown in Figure 1.

A rod or shaft 16 is mounted in the outer ends of the thrust members 12 and is secured thereto by suitable clamps 17 which are-bolted to the ends of the thrust members. A flanged roller 18 is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 16 and is centrally retained between the two thrust members and the supporting beams 7 by suitable spacing collars 19 mounted on the shaft. A tie-pulling cable 21, having a suitable connecting means detachably secured to one end thereof, is adapted to pass under and over the flanged roller 18 to a winding drum 22 mounted upon a shaft 23 supported in bearing boxes 24 secured to the upper faces of the two supporting beams 7. A T-slot 25 is preferably provided in the periphery of the winding gear is adapted to inesh with a pinion drinn 22 for detaehably securing,- the tie-pulling cable 2l thereto. The tie-pulling cable preferably has a head 2S provided on one end thereoi1 adapted to be inserted in T- slot 25 in the Winding druin to detachably secure it thereto, (see Figure 2).

ineans provided Jor rotatino the Winding druin 22 preferably consists or a gear 27 secured to one end ot the drinn and which es, preferably loosely :neunted upon the drive shalt El. A. suitable friction clutch 29e, ot' ordinary construction, is also inounted on the drive shaft 8 to provide nieans 'for operatively connecting;- the pinion 8 with the `drive shaft .vhen l ed to ectuate or rotate the Winding` drinn in the operation of pulling` a tie. A clutch-operating lever 3l niay be provioed for shitting the clutch 29 into and out or' driving' connection with the pinion 28. This lever inay be inounted upon one olI the bearing; pedestals ll supporting` the drive shaft 8 and is connected to the movable nieinber oi the clutch by ineens of 1 m im (Le.)

a rod 32.

drive shaft 8 inav be conveniently rl-he driven engine drive shalt o which a to is mounted on the pulley 86 on the engine sh` ii fhen employing a belt drive as above or` such length tint ative position ththe belt and the ine rive 'iulley Will not be sufficient to cause the engine pulley to drive the belt. l' s ideen: are, therefore, provided for tighteningv the belt to bring it into driving Contact with the engine pulley. Such tighteniw e; oi the belt niay be zieconiplis-,hed by either slidably niounting the engine on a base secured to the car platte or by providing` a belt taire-up device such as shown in the drawings. The belt. tiche-up or ,adjusting nieiins here shown preterably coiisistss ot a 'iorled arin 37 havingan idler pulley 38 inounted thereon adapted to be inoved into driving; contact With the belt. n 3l is inounted upon one end of a rt 39 hafving;` a lever -ll nioiuiterl upon the opposite ed thereof by ineans ot which the prille*T 38 niny be inoved into end out of Contact belt. A ratchet device l2 is provided to the belt tighteningI lever ll in its adjust positions.

By reference to Figur t will be noted that the supportingv beaE to which the thrust ineinbers l2 are secured7 are pivotally mounted upon the drive shaft S so that the thrust inenibers l2 inny be n'ioved out of engagement with the rails When inoving r'roin tie tie or 'troni place to place along` the railrond track, and as indicated by the noises? positionsY slioirn in dotted lines in Figure l, the latch vfill automatically be moved into holding engagement with the pin Ll5 to retain the thrust ineinb and beains 7 in suoli noperative positions. lV hen it is necessary ny great distance alongV the railv1ie supporting; beains 7 and thrust iay be swung to a position over i the cui platroini, as also indicatedV by dotted A toot pedal is preferably provided for 'o gthe thrust nieinber l2 out of' Working engagement with the track rails when moving` 4none tie to the nent (see Fig, l). rlhis toot pedal pivot-ally niounted on one side ot the cai' platliorin and has its lower endportion adapted to engage one o' the upright posts 13 so tl at applied to the opposite end of the pedal,

ne thrust nienibers will be outwardly moved outI oi contact with the rail. rEhe tootpedal i9 is also preferably deinountably inounted on the cai` plati'forin so that it may readily be detached therefroinwhen the tie pulling attachment is renioved or detached from the ear.

ln the operation ol' this novel tie removing and replacing machine7 aplurality ot tiepulling` cables usually provided in order to expedite the Worn oi' removingl and replacing old ties. Vllhe cables used toil reinoving the old ties iniiy be provided With suitable hoolrs 4l? adopted to engage the end ot the tie is shown in Figui-e 2. 'll-he cables employed for Drilling' the new ties into the place of the reinoved tie are preferably provided with a suitable gripping' .device also shown in Figure :2j so thfittbe cable Will not interfere 1with the bottoni ot the rails When pulling the tie thereunder. lil-,Then removing an old tie troni beneath the rails, a plurality of cables 2l equipped with hooi-:s

4:7 inay be placed along the track between the ties as indicated in Tiligure 2. 'lhe between the ties -will positon the vvorhn'ien placing` the cables in edi/'ance ot the inachine lio-oli. 4l? as show n, so that when the opposite end oli one oi? the cables is sorted in the "iT-slot ot t Win-dino oiuin and the ter is rotated by inenipulation oit tlie clutch lever 3l, the cable v-.iill be Wound thereon and the tie Will be puiied troni under the rails as also shown in this ligure. As soon as lthe when downward oressure is o is' beanis are lifted into the adjusted i old tie has been completely withdrawn from beneath the rails, the operator, or a workman walking alongside of the machine will remove the hook 4:7 from the withdrawn tie after which he will unwind the cable from.

the drum 22 so that the next cable may be secured thereto. As soon as the next cable has been connected to the winding drum the latter will again be started and the next tie pulled in a similar manner.V

ln pulling` the new ties into place under the rails, the ties will iirst be placed along the track in alignment with the trenches in the ground left by the removal of the old ties. The cables employing the gripping devices 4S, will then be placed under the rails of the track and after the hooks have been connected to the ties, as shown in Figure 2, each cable will be similarly connected to the winding drum and a new tie pulled under the rails after which the hooks e8 will be removed and the cable removed from the winding drum and thenext successive cable be similarly attached to the winding drum. By thus employing a plurality of tie-pulling cables, a small crew of men may greatly reduce the amount of time ordinarily required to remove and replace a given number of ties along a railroad track, thereby greatlv reducing the cost of such work. Also by the employment of the thrust members l2, very little strain will be exerted against the car when a tie is being pulled as practically all of such strain will be exerted against the adjacent rail providing the abutment for the thrust member lf2. Y

If desired, the cable used in pulling into place the new tie may be passed over the tops of the rails instead of under as .shown in the drawings, thereby eliminating' the necessity of having to unwind and disconnect the other end of the cable from the winding drum each time a tie is pulled into place. W7 hen the cable is thus used a difierent type of hook must be used for engaging the tie as it will be necessary to secure the cable to the opposite or lagging end of the tie in pulling it into place. For this purpose a device similar to the hook el?, shown in Figure 2., may be used for securing the cable to the end of the tie.

This novel device is of simple and inexpensive construction and may be used either as an attachment for anorrinary iand cail or it may be constructed as a partthereof and also, if desired, the drive shaft 8 may be hand-operated in place of the motive power herein shown. The hooks 37 and gripping devices 48 provided on the tie-pulling cables 2l may be of any suitable coi'istruction or form which will provide means whereby the tie-pulling cables may readily and quickly be connected to and disconnected from the ties. y

The construction of this novel tie pulling attachment' is such 'that it may be conveniently mounted upon any ordinary type of motor car and be connected to the motor power thereof. In the drawings the drive shaft 8 is shown operatively connected to the ypropelling it may also be used to provide power for the tie-pulling attachment with out altering the location of the engine upon the car platform. Thus, it will readily be seen and understood that this novel tie pulling device is well adapted for use as an attachment for an ordinary railway motor car thereby providing means whereby such a cai` may readily and quickly be converted from e;

a transportion car into a tie puller or tie renewing machine. y

l claim as my invention:

l. A tie replacer comprising a thrust member adapted to horizontally abut a track rail and exert a thrusting pressure thereon and be inored to a raised non-working position, and flexible tie attaching means having a ruiming connection with said thrust member. Y

2. A tie replacer comprising' a thrust member pivotally supported and adapted to abut a track rail and exert a thrusting` pressure thereon and be swung on its pivot to raised non-working position, and a flexible tie attaching means having a running connection with said thrust member.

3. A tie replacer comprising a wheeled frame, a thrust member pivoted thereon and adaptedl to horizontally abut a track rail and exert athrusting pressure thereon, said member being capable of swinging on its pivot to a raised non-working position on said frame7 andliexible means having means for attachment to a tie and a running connection with said thrust member.

l. A tie replacer comprising a wheeled frame, a pair of beams pivotally supported at one end on said frame and adapted to swing down to an inclined position at one side of said frame and be raised to a. nonworking position above Vsaid frame, said beams having thrust members adapted to engage a track rail andexert a thrusting pressure thereon, and flexible means mounted on said beams and having means for connection with a tie.

5. A tie replacer comprising a wheeled frame, beams mounted thereon lin an inclinedrposition at one side of said frame,

Elf:

lll?

lilavit) the lower ends of 'said `beams hav-ingvhori- Zontal ymembers to .abut the .adjacent track rail and exert a thrusting pressurethereon, a winding drum, an idle drum lmounted fnear the lower :ends of said beams and a cable attached to said winding drum and having a running connection with said Aidle drum and provided with means for attachment to a tie.

6. The combination with a car having a platform and carrying wheels, of a frame mounted on said platform in an inclined position atene side of the car and having,` thrust members for horizontally 'abutting the adjacent track rail, a sourcev of motive power mounted -on said platform, a winding drum operatively connected with 'said source of motive 4power and a cable for said drum having` means for connection to a tie anda running connection with vsaid frame.

7. The combination with a. car having a platform and carrying wheels and a shaft vmounted in bearings on said platform, of a frame journaled on said shaft and adapted to extend downwardly and laterally there from and having,` thrust members to abut the adjacent track rail, a windingn drum mounted .on said frame, a cable for said drum havingmeans for connection with a tie, said frame being adapted to swingto a raised non-working'position above said platform.

SQ The combination with a car havingl a platform and carrying,` wheels and a shaft mounted in bea-rings on said platform, of a :frame journaled on said shaft vand adapted to entend downwardly and laterally therefrom and having thrust members to abut the adjacent track rail, a winding` drum mounted on said frame, a cable for said drumhaving` Ymeans for connection 'with a tie, said frame .being adapted to swing to a raised non-working position above said platform, and means for locking` said framein .its raised inoperative position.

9. A tie replacer comprising a platform having` track wheels, a frame hinged on one side of said-platform to .s *ing down to a point. near the gre-und line and having a substantially horizontal thrust member, a cable having` a running connection with said vframe .and means for connection to atie, the pull of said cable being taken .up by said thrust member, ,and said frame being; adapted to swing to araised non-working position above .said platform.

l0. A tie replacer comiin'isingj a thrust member adapted to horizontally abut a track rail and exert a hrnstingl pressure thereon, a car having;- a platform .and carrying wheels and whereon said thrust member is support ed, a winding drum, a cable adapted to be connected to said drum and having a `runningl connection With said thrust member fand provided with means forrattac'hmentto atie. il l.

il 1l. A car having a platform and `carrying wheels and standards mounted -on said platform, in combi-nation with latie replacer frame lia-ving a shaft adapted to 4be removably supported on said standards, saidframe including beams supportedon said shaft and adapted to swing downwardly to an inclined position near thefground line and having thrust members adapted to be seated-against the adjacent track rail, a wind-ing` drum mounted in said frame and` having al suitable driving mechanism and ai-ca'ble connectedto said drinn and having` :a running connection with the lower portion of said frame and provided with means for :attach-ment V to'a railroad tie.

i2. ik tie replacer comprising` aframe khaving a thrust member adapted to horizontally abut a track rail and exert a thrusting pressure thereon, a winding drufm vmounted in said frame `and having a driving ymechanism, a cable attached to said dru-m :and Vhax'fingy means for connection to a railroad tie, said frame beingl adapted'for mountingl on oneside of the platform of a railway rcar, and readily removable-therefrom.

i3. A tie replacer' comprising a frame li--vin;-\1 a thrust member to engage a track rail, a car plat-form :having carrying'wh'eels and asupportfon said platform whereonsaid frame is pivoted'for vertical oscillation 'and a cable mounted on said frame and vhaving,` means for connection with a tie, VandGmeans mounted on said platform for tilting'said frame and forcing said thrust member Vout of engagement with the track rail.

In combination with Va track, a Ytruck thereon, a frame pivotcd to the upper side of the truck and having spaced frame members having portions abuttin-gly engaging fith vthe outer side. of one of the rails when the frame is in working position, a winding drum upon the frame and a cable Eattached to the drum and-guidingly supportedupon and passingl beneath frame and rails and adapted for attachment with a tie, said frame beinig` adapted' to be swung to -an idle position above the truck.

i5. A tie replacer comprising a. horizontal thrust member-adapted to abut the web of a track rail atene side of the track and exert a lateral thrusting' pressure thereon, a truck and winding drinn thereon, and iiexible tieattachinii` means connected to said drum and having a runningl connection with saidthrust member.

i6. fr tie replacer comprising a horizontal thrust lmen'iber adapted to laterally `abut a track rail `and exert actin-Listing transverse pressure thereon, an inclined member secured to said thrust member land adapted to be mounted on a car, and flexible tie-attaching means having a Winding mechanism on the oar, and a running connection With said thrust member.

17. A tie replacer comprising :L substantially triangular' fame having lower horizontal members to abut u truck rail and exert a lateral pressure thereon7 upper inclined members connected to said lower members and having means for mounting them on a our, and flexible tie-attaching l0 means having a running connection With said lower thrust members and a Winding means on the car.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March 1925.

ROY S. KNIFFEN. 

